3.3. Configure measures for charts

With Analytics+, measure management can be completely driven from within the visual. The report creator only needs to add the required measures as visual parameters - end users can disable measures, set up comparisons, or search for measures.

Let's discover the range of measure configurations in Analytics+ and explore how to tailor them to your specific reporting requirements.

The manage measure window may vary depending on the chart type

1. Actuals

You can use the Actuals bucket to plot charts for non-comparative measures i.e., when your report does not require the variance between measures. In chart mode, the measures added to the Values visual parameter will be assigned to the actuals bucket by default.

Actuals data well in chart mode

When the measures are on different scales, Inforiver will render a combo chart with a secondary Y-axis. In the example, we've added the 2023 Gross Sales measure. Notice how it is rendered as a line chart while all the other measures are rendered as bars.

Measures on different scales

2. Comparison fields

You can leverage the comparison buckets to compare the actuals against the previous year's actuals or the plan/forecast. Inforiver will render comparison charts automatically when a measure is assigned to the comparison fields.

Let’s explore this by dragging measures to the comparison data wells. The variances are now calculated for the actuals and comparison fields.

Comparison charts will only use the first measure in the Actuals bucket, if there are other measures in the Actuals bucket, they will not be plotted.

Comparison data wells

3. Enforce IBCS standards

Analytics+ is a flexbile IBCS visual. You can easily switch to IBCS mode by enabling the toggle. When IBCS standards are enforced, additional pin charts are rendered for absolute and relative variances. You have the flexibility to remove or retain the pin charts based on your requirements. Additionally, in the pivot data window, the comparison fields are re-named to IBCS notations - AC/PY/PL and FC.

IBCS mode

4. Split categories into measures

When this property is enabled, each category in the small multiples parameter is split into a separate measure. To see this feature in action, let's change the visual parameters a bit. We'll first add Quarter as small multiples parameter and render a trellis.

Visual parameter configuration for split categories option

The Split categories into measures option will be displayed only when a small multiple parameter is added to the visual.

After enabling the Split categories into measures option, the actuals measure is split into 4 separate measures - 1 for each quarter.

Actuals split into 4 measures - 1 for each quarter

Inforiver supports comparisons for up to 3 measures. Learn more about measure comparisons and forecasts. If you have added multiple measures or the dimension added to the small multiples parameter has more than 4 categories, only 4 will be rendered. You can configure which categories to plot using the checkboxes.

Splitting multiple categories and measures

5. Lock measures

Analytics+ automatically assigns measures to the data wells. You can, however, set up a user-defined data configuration and choose to retain it using the lock option, i.e., if you remove and then add a measure back, it will be assigned to the pre-designated bucket instead of the default bucket. The icon changes to , indicating that the measure configuration has been locked.

Lock measures

6. Set default bucketing

A measure added to the visual is assigned to the Actuals section by default. You can override this and set a different default bucket.

Changing the default bucket

7. Prompt on data assignment

Enable the Prompt on data assignment checkbox if you want the measure configuration window to open automatically, each time you add a visual measure.

Prompt on data assignment

8. Search and select

Analytics+ allows you to add up to 30 measures to your visual. You can select the measures to plot using the checkboxes against each measure. You can easily locate a specific measure using the search bar.

Selecting measures

Searching for measures

9. FC as comparison

You can add a large number of measures to the visual, however, Analytics+ supports 3 comparisons for up to 3 measures. If you have a fourth measure, comparisons cannot be rendered.

Notice that the FC measure has been added but not rendered.

Measure comparisons

If you are working with the IBCS theme, when AC values are unavailable for certain categories or time frames, you can plot FC instead of AC. Render the forecast measure by disabling the FC as Comparison toggle.

FC as comparison option